The complete replacement of our reliable analogue landlines across the UK is planned to be completed in 2025, when they will be switched off. Up to 91% of people aren’t even aware of this fact, showing that meaningful consultation has simply not taken place. Our landlines will be replaced by the less reliable VOIP or other broadband based digital phones, since they rely on both internet and power, which will inevitably put many lives in danger where either fails. 

We call on BT/Openreach and any other provider to successfully supply a digital service that has the automated backups and fail-safes enabling emergency phone calls that are as simple to use as our current landlines, as well as automatically operational phone lines in a broadband, and/or power outage. These systems should have automatic back up power for many days not minutes, as well as be used anywhere in the UK even if broadband is down.

It is only in this way that the digital switch over can be as reliable and as safe as our current landlines, which will be switched off in 2025.

We, and many others, have recently been informed that BT/Openreach and other providers are eliminating our landlines and moving us over to digital voice (voip on the broadband/fibre connection - Using a modem).  We don’t have any choice, they are eliminating the cost of maintaining all copper lines by 2025 to save millions, and we have been told that we cannot fight it or opt out.

What would happen in a power cut? The best they can offer is a costly battery that only gives an extra 60 minutes of power at best. If the power cut lasts longer than this time we won’t be able to dial 999.

What would happen if our broadband goes down, (it was out for us for 6 days a short time ago)? We wouldn’t have a phone line. In fact, we won’t even be able to ring our provider to let them know there is a problem. Crucially we won’t be able to dial 999.

Most people now have a mobile phone, however, it would be useless if there is no signal or the mast is down, which happened in parts of the UK during the recent storms. There are 28 million households with a landline in the UK, and there are 28 million vulnerable adults living in the UK, many of whom may rely solely on their landline for communication. These people, like my grandmother who lives alone, would be in serious trouble if they were sick or in need of help during a power cut or broadband failure, in which circumstance she would be unable to reach anyone at all, let alone dial 999. What about those with a lifeline or the vulnerable who can’t use a mobile phone through sight problems and other disabilities?

BT/Openreach and other providers are replacing a reliable simple service, with unreliable systems that are in their very nature more complex. This is especially so for the older person or those with cognitive or learning difficulties.

These systems are also reliant on many factors, not just electricity to the property but also to a working broadband connection, working modem and with network all operational. This could be extremely dangerous, resulting in many persons potentially suffering alone, and losing their lives, simply by taking away their reliable service in which to call the emergency services or someone for help.

I don’t remember the last time my copper phone line stopped working altogether.

Even if you do own a mobile phone, it may not always be functional, it could be lost somewhere in the house, (which we have all done), it could be dead and need charging, how would we charge it in a power cut? During storm Arwen, there were homes without power or digital phone lines for 12 days with no way of contacting the outside world. Yet in an emergency, those that had fixed analogue lines relied on these for calling the emergency services. 

In addition, if you live somewhere like me, you may have a very poor and mostly unavailable mobile network signal. I fear that if anyone in my family ever needed urgent help, and our power or broadband was not operational for any reason, we’d be in real danger of not getting it.

Whilst my Grandmother, who won’t be able to operate a modem or even know if there was a technical issue, let alone understand how to fix or be able to report it, could be sick or have a fall, be alone, and unable to get help. That is a very disturbing thought, but I fear if Openreach are permitted to do this against our will, and before they have the appropriate fail-safes and backups in place, it will lead to unnecessary risk, suffering, isolation, and potentially lives lost due to persons not being able to get the urgent help they so desperately need.

Ofcom have stated many times that Providers of VOIP phone lines, must provide access to 999 in the event of a power cut, and also must provide a reliable service. This is not and cannot be the case. A 60 minute back up battery that we have to pay for does not cut it. And in the case of a broadband failure no such provision is made. They have said that everyone should have a mobile phone for emergency situations. That’s great if you can afford it, can use it, and have a good signal at home.

The only answer is to ensure that analogue/copper lines continue to be used as a choice for consumers, until such a point when these issues are rightfully resolved. 

Those that want digital voice can still have it, and there will be those who will abandon home phone lines altogether in favour of mobiles, particularly if they have a great signal strength. But in rural areas vulnerable to poor mobile signal, power and broadband outages, and for all those that do still rely heavily on the traditional phone line (and there are many), it too should be their choice to keep their landline as the most reliable service there is, until BT/Openreach and other providers can comprehensively resolve these serious issues.

Right now there is simply no choice, and we along with millions of others will be left extremely vulnerable.  Surely this can’t make sense, it can’t be right and safe for us consumers, just so that these firms can save their millions before designing a fit for purpose system with the appropriate backups and fail-safes? I dread to think of the personal injury claims against these companies that may result.

On our mobile phones, we can dial 999 without network coverage, so long as the mast is still operational, so this needs to be implemented with digital phones also. But what about a power cut? The battery should be an automatic failsafe and should last for weeks not minutes. Copper lines do not rely on power directly from our homes, and are a simpler system, which makes it far more reliable by nature and hence should be currently kept as a choice. BT/Openreach and other providers cannot be permitted to roll out an unsafe and unreliable system, to replace a very reliable traditional system against our will with no meaningful consultation.

We feel that the new digital system being rolled out, whilst new landlines are being refused, will put the already vulnerable at risk of not getting emergency help in a crisis, such as those not able to use mobiles and those who solely rely on their landline, whether rural or urban.  Additionally we feel that this will also create vulnerability among everyone else during the time of power or broadband outages, particularly in more rural areas or where there is non-existent or variable mobile signal.

I sincerely hope that you will support us and our need to take action to call for far safer and appropriate measures, that are always a choice and not forced upon us. We just want to feel safe and know that we have a reliable way to get help if and when we may need it. If we all do nothing, any of us or our loved ones could find ourselves in real trouble and not be able to get urgent help in a crisis.

Yours sincerely

L Davies 

Save our landlines